His Kind of Woman (1951)

Director:

John Farrow
(more)

Writers:

Frank Fenton (written by) and
Jack Leonard (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

29 August 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

They were two of a kind ! ...and bound to meet, but neither of them knew what such a meeting would mean!

Plot:

A deported gangster's plan to re-enter the USA involves skulduggery at a Mexican resort, and gambler Dan Milner is caught in the middle.

Plot Keywords:

California | Gangster | Mexico | Playing Cards | Watching A Movie

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Dan Milner
Jane Russell	...	Lenore Brent
Vincent Price	...	Mark Cardigan
Tim Holt	...	Bill Lusk
Charles McGraw	...	Thompson / Narrator
Marjorie Reynolds	...	Helen Cardigan
Raymond Burr	...	Nick Ferraro
Leslie Banning	...	Jennie Stone (as Leslye Banning)
Jim Backus	...	Myron Winton
Philip Van Zandt	...	Jose Morro
John Mylong	...	Martin Krafft
Carleton G. Young	...	Gerald Hobson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Tol Avery	...	Fat Hoodlum (uncredited)
Howard Batt	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Richard Bergren	...	Milton Stone (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	Lodge Bartender (uncredited)
Mary Brewer	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Peter Brocco	...	Thompson's First Henchman (uncredited)
James Burke	...	Barkeeper in Nogales (uncredited)
Gwen Caldwell	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Anthony Caruso	...	Tony (uncredited)
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Hernandez (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Jim Davies	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Daniel De Laurentis	...	Mexican Boy in Nogales (uncredited)
King Donovan	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Marietta Elliott	...	Redhead (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Charles (uncredited)
Joel Fluellen	...	Sam (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Corley (uncredited)
Barbara Freking	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Gerry Ganzer	...	Countess (uncredited)
Ralph Gomez	...	Mexican Foreman (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Joseph Granby	...	Arnold (uncredited)
Henry Guttman	...	Man (uncredited)
Stacy Harris	...	Harry (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Customer (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Old-Timer Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Don House	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Jerry James	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Geraldine Jordan	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
William Justine	...	Gyppo (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Thompson's Henchman #2 (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Lt. Rodriguez (uncredited)
Billy Nelson	...	Ship's Captain (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Edwin Rand	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bob Rose	...	Corley's Servant (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Guitarist (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	...	Gunman (uncredited)
Mamie Van Doren	...	Lodge Guest at Bar (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Ernö Verebes	...	Esteban - Morro Servant (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Tex Kearns (uncredited)
Robert J. Wilke	...	Nick Ferraro (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Joy Windsor	...	Lodge Guest (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Sally Yarnell	...	Pianist (uncredited)
Maria Sen Young	...	Swaying Waitress (uncredited)

Directed by
John Farrow
Richard Fleischer		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Frank Fenton		(written by) and
Jack Leonard		(written by)
Gerald Drayson Adams		story (uncredited)
Earl Felton		uncredited
Richard Fleischer		uncredited
Howard Hughes		uncredited

Produced by
John Farrow	....	producer
Robert Sparks	....	producer
Robert Fellows	....	producer (uncredited)
Howard Hughes	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
Harry J. Wild		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frederic Knudtson
Eda Warren

Production Design by
J. McMillan Johnson

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino

Set Decoration by
Ross Dowd
Darrell Silvera

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Baur	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Sam Ruman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Clem Portman	....	sound
John E. Tribby	....	sound (as John Tribby)

Stunts
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Howard Greer	....	gowns: Miss Russell
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Howard Hughes	....	presenter
Boyd Cabeen	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Carmen Cabeen	....	stand-in: Jane Russell (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (195?) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sascha Filmverleih (1952) (Austria) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Odeon Entertainment (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min | West Germany:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #14533) | Sweden:(Banned) (1951-1965) | UK:12 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1951)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

In later interviews, Robert Mitchum admitted that much of the script was made up as they went along.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Milner bumps into Cardigan on the stairs, one of the bullets on Cardigan's hunting vest has slipped almost all the way through the holder. In the next shot, all of the bullets are in place and evenly aligned.

Quotes:

Lenore Brent:They tell me you killed Ferraro. How did it feel?
Dan Milner:He didn't say.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

You'll Know

My Kind of Movie

This is a movie that should not have worked for me. I have never been a big fan of director John Farrow and the principal cast didn't impress me very much. Macho types like Robert Mitchum always seem to be trying to prove something. I never thought Jane Russell was all that sexy - too intimating for me. Vincent Price, and other super sophisticates like Hurd Hatfield and Zachary Scott just bored me.

The plot is complicated. A deported gangster wants to get back into the USA. He devises this scheme to lure Robert Mitchum to a Mexican resort in order to kidnap him, adopt his identity with the help of his gang of cutthroats and a crooked ex-Nazi plastic surgeon, and dispose of him. The feds get wind of the scheme and wise the hero up. Vincent Price plays a ham actor who, after being a fake all his life, decides to get real and try to rescue him. Russell is a round heels who was making a play for the big time with Price only to fall in love with Robert Mitchum. There are flaws in this movie. There is something illogical in torturing Mitchum to get him to cooperate in his own destruction. The idea of spending eternity trying to inject a drug into him that will make him forget seems like an extreme waste of time when they could have just as easily cut his throat or strangled him. But all that aside:

Watching Vincent Price recite lines from his movies as he launches his rescue mission, shoots the bad guys, and generally plays the hero is something not to be missed. There are even references to some of Hollywood folklore. He quotes the line attributed to one of the moguls (Sam Goldwyn or Harry Cohn I think): "If you want to send a message, call Western Union". There may not be a message in this movie, but boy is it great drama and great fun. For me this movie is all about Vincent Price. He showed a genuine flair for comedy in this movie and carried the picture.